Tuna Pasta Salad (Lightened Up)

Tuna Pasta Salad is a classic recipe that everyone loves! This slightly lightened up easy recipe is delicious, easy, and perfect for any occasion.

Tuna pasta salad is a staple when it comes to BBQ’s, pot lucks, or just a good down home meal. Using white albacore tuna is a must for tuna salad, as the chunky white tuna adds such a delicious flavor to the pasta salad. Tuna pasta salad can be made it just a few minutes, but it’s best to let it rest in the fridge at least an hour before serving. 

This tuna pasta salad is such an easy recipe, and you probably have most of the ingredients at home already.

How to make Tuna Pasta Salad:

• Prep all the vegetables and cook the noodles al dente; set them aside to cool.
• Make the dressing: Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, dill pickle juice, and ranch seasoning mixed together.
• Add all the vegetables, drained tuna, and dressing into a bowl with the cooled noodles. Add pepper and salt, then mix carefully until the noodles are completely coated with dressing.
• Pop it in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.

Tuna Pasta Salad should last at least 5 days in the fridge after making; keep tightly covered when not serving. I don’t recommend freezing tuna pasta salad. 

How to lighten it up:

• Using Greek yogurt in place of mayonnaise is a great way to lighten up a tuna pasta salad. I used half Greek yogurt, and half light mayonnaise. You could leave out all the mayonnaise and use just Greek yogurt, however the flavor might be a little different than what is typical. Trying a 3:1 ratio of Greek yogurt to mayonnaise might be the best option if you are really trying to leave out the mayonnaise. 

What to serve with Tuna Pasta Salad:

• Easy Baked Turkey Ham Sliders are the perfect fun appetizer! Layers of ham, turkey, and cheese between a buttery cheesy slider bun is the perfect combo!!
• Grilled Sausage Foil Packs are loaded with delicious sausage, red potatoes, mini corn cobs, and onions! Perfect for a quick easy dinner!
• Hawaiian Style Hot Dogs are covered with fresh pineapple and cilantro, then drizzled with sweet BBQ sauce! This is a meal even your pickiest eater will enjoy! 
• Spicy Black Bean Hawaiian BBQ Burgers will be a hit at your next BBQ, and even the meat eaters will be asking for this recipe!
• Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Black Bean Burgers are deliciously cheesy, spicy hot, and protein packed black bean burgers! Perfect for the meatless grill option!

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5 from 6 votes

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Tuna Pasta Salad

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Refridgerate

1 hr

Total Time

15 mins

 

Tuna Pasta Salad is a classic recipe that everyone loves! This slightly lightened up easy recipe is delicious, easy, and perfect for any occasion.

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 lb macaroni noodles, elbows, shells, or rigatoni work well for this recipe
• 2 cans solid white albacore tuna packed in water, drained
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 medium onion, diced

For the dressing

• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup light mayonnaise
• 1 TBS lemon juice
• 2 TBS dill pickle juice (remove from pickle jar)
• 1/2 TBS ranch seasoning
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/8 tsp salt

Optional garnishes

• chopped parsley
• chopped chives/green onion

Instructions

1. Cook pasta noodles, drain, set aside to cool.

2. Mix dressing: Add all dressing ingredients to a medium bowl and mix until combined.

3. In a large bowl add pasta noodles, celery, tomatoes, onions, and tuna. Pour dressing over the top. Fold dressing carefully into the tuna pasta salad until completely coated. 

4. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Garnish with parsley and green onion/chives if desired before serving. 

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Recipe can easily be doubled or tripled for a large crowd. Tuna Pasta Salad should keep for at least 5 days in a tightly sealed container in the fridge.